Aiden’s POV

The sickening smirk remained plastered on Davon’s face as he stood there on the pavement, his eyes locked onto mine with an mocking, unbothered intensity.

"Why the hell are you here?" I demanded, the words scraping past my throat like gravel. "Why did you come back?"

Davon tilted his head, his smirk stretching a fraction wider. "Why can’t I be here? I mean... this is my country, isn’t it?"

"You don’t belong here anymore," I snapped, my voice laced with a lethal promise.

The playful smile finally faded from Davon’s face. His features hardened, and he let out a sharp, bitter scoff. "If Lucian can still freely roam around these streets, why the hell can’t I?" he countered, his voice turning sharp and defensive. "I mean, let’s be real here—I wasn’t the only one who killed people back then. He did plenty of slaughtering too, so why exactly should I be the only one forced to live my life on the run?"

I scoffed, looking down at him with pure disgust. "You had so much potential, Davon. You had a lot going for you in the pack, but you threw it all away the second you decided to go rogue. You are a pathetic piece of trash."

A dark smirk crept back onto Davon’s face. "Mistakes were made," he murmured smoothly, adjusting the collar of his jacket. "But I don’t regret my freedom away from you for a single second, Aiden. What did you honestly think? That I was just going to serve you for the rest of my miserable life? A submissive Beta with absolutely nothing to show for it? Come on, Aiden."

I let out a harsh, mocking laugh. "You know... at first, I was completely furious that you went ahead and chose to side with Lucian. But after finding out about your ultimate betrayal to him, too, it became crystal clear that you owe absolutely no one your loyalty. You might actually be worse than Lucian. At least he doesn’t hide the monster he truly is." I paused, my eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. "Now answer me—why the hell were you with Alina?"

Davon smiled, a wicked glint flashing in his eyes. "You know me, Alpha. When I see an incredibly pretty girl, I go after her."

My eyes widened in a spike of dangerous adrenaline. Before I could speak, Davon stepped closer, his voice dropping to a teasing purr. "Though... if I didn’t hear exactly wrong just now... you said something rather interesting to Lucian. Something about her being your ex-wife, and the two of you having a child together?"

I clamped my jaw shut, refusing to give him the satisfaction of an answer.

"Wow, Aiden," Davon whispered, shaking his head with a sudden wave of genuine annoyance. "You literally had Emily... and that still wasn’t enough for you?"

A dark grin pulled at my lips, spotting his weakness instantly. "Ahh... so your pathetic little crush on Emily didn’t vanish after all this time, did it?"

An intense wave of irritation flushed across Davon’s face. His jaw clicked violently. "I do not have a crush on Emily," he hissed, his composure cracking for a split second. "She is firmly in my past. But do you want to know who is currently occupying my present?" His sickening smirk returned full force, his eyes flashing with malice. "Alina. She seems incredibly interesting. Beautiful. Tempting. I think I might just go ahead and make her mine."

The words hadn’t even fully left his mouth before I lost control.

I lunged forward, my hand shooting out like a whip as I grabbed him by the throat, violently slamming him back against the nearest brick wall. I squeezed his neck tightly, the heavy strength of my Alpha aura flaring to life as I locked him in place.

"I don’t know what the fuck you think you are doing," I growled directly into his face, my grip tightening until his face began to turn a deep shade of red. "But Alina is completely off-limits. Do you understand me?!"

I gave his throat one last, brutal squeeze before shoving him away.

Davon stumbled back, clutching his throat as a harsh, ragged cough ripped from his chest. He took a few gasping breaths, but the second he straightened up, a wild, victorious grin broke across his face.

"You just made this significantly more interesting, Aiden," he gasped out, his voice hoarse but dripping with twisted amusement. "With your explosive reaction, and the way Lucian looked ready to murder me... she must be someone incredibly special to the both of you." He stepped forward, entirely unfazed by my threat. "And you know me, Alpha... the more you dare me to stay away from something, the more my hunger for it grows."

"Davon," I growled, a low, warning rumble vibrating deep within my chest, my claws itching to tear through his skin. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"You have absolutely no right to get mad at me, Aiden," Davon scoffed, waving his hand dismissively as his smirk widened. "You’re a happily married man now, and you have a brand-new baby on the way. You should really go home, take care of your pregnant wife, and focus on your own life. Leave us singles to mingle with the other singles."

He took a step backward into the shadows of the alleyway, tipping his head to me in a mock salute.

"See you around... Alpha Aiden."

With that final taunt, Davon turned on his heel and melted into the shadows of the alleyway, leaving me standing completely alone on the cold pavement.

"First Lucian... and now him," I muttered, the words tumbling out of my mouth in a breathless, furious rush.

A wave of pure frustration crashed over me. I aggressively shoved my hair backward, my fingers gripping the roots as my chest heaved with an untamed, mounting desperation. The walls were closing in, and the wolves were circling the only woman who had ever truly anchored me.

"No," I growled into the empty street, my jaw tightening into an unbreakable vow. "I will take her back. I will."